Methods of studying nature. Research work "observations of folk signs in nature" What physical phenomena did you observe

The natural world around us is simply teeming with various secrets and mysteries. Scientists have been looking for answers for centuries and sometimes trying to explain, but even the best minds of mankind still defy some amazing natural phenomena.

Sometimes one gets the impression that incomprehensible flashes in the sky, spontaneously moving stones do not mean anything special. But, delving into the mysterious manifestations observed on our planet, you understand that it is impossible to answer many questions. Nature carefully hides its secrets, and people put forward new hypotheses, trying to unravel them.

Today we will look at physical phenomena in wildlife that will make you take a fresh look at the world around us.

physical phenomena

Every body is made up of certain substances, but note that different actions affect the same bodies differently. For example, if paper is torn in half, paper will remain paper. But if you set it on fire, then the ashes will remain from it.

When the size, shape, state changes, but the substance remains the same and does not transform into another, such phenomena are called physical. They may be different.

Natural phenomena, examples of which we can observe in everyday life, are:

• Mechanical. The movement of clouds across the sky, the flight of an airplane, the fall of an apple.
• Thermal. caused by temperature changes. In the course of this, the characteristics of the body change. If you heat ice, it becomes water, which turns into steam.
• Electrical. Surely, when you quickly take off your woolen clothes, you have at least once heard a specific crack, similar to an electric discharge. And if you do all this in a dark room, you can still observe sparks. Objects that, after friction, begin to attract lighter bodies are called electrified. Northern lights, lightning during a thunderstorm are prime examples
• light. Bodies that emit light are called. This includes the Sun, lamps, and even representatives of the animal world: some types of deep-seated fish and fireflies.

The physical phenomena of nature, examples of which we have considered above, are successfully used by people in everyday life. But there are those that still excite the minds of scientists and cause universal admiration.

Northern lights

Perhaps this rightfully bears the status of the most romantic. High in the sky, multi-colored rivers form, which cover an endless number of bright stars.

If you want to enjoy this beauty, then it is best to do it in the northern part of Finland (Lapland). There was a belief that the cause of the occurrence was the wrath of the supreme gods. But the legend of the Sami people about the fabulous fox, which hit its tail on the snow-covered plains, was more popular, because of which colored sparks soared up and lit up the night sky.

Clouds in the form of pipes

Such a phenomenon of nature can drag any person into a state of relaxation, inspiration, illusions for a long time. Such sensations are created due to the shape of large pipes that change their shade.

You can see it in those places where a thunderstorm front begins to form. This natural phenomenon is most often observed in countries with a tropical climate.

Stones that move in Death Valley

There are various natural phenomena, examples of which are quite explainable from a scientific point of view. But there are some that defy human logic. One of the mysteries of nature is considered. This phenomenon can be observed in the American national park called Death Valley. Many scientists try to explain the movement by strong winds, which are often found in desert areas, and by the presence of ice, since it was in winter that the movement of stones became more intense.

During the research, scientists made observations of 30 stones, the weight of which was no more than 25 kg. In seven years, 28 out of 30 boulders moved 200 meters from the starting point.

Whatever the guesses of scientists, they do not have a definite answer regarding this phenomenon.

Ball lightning

Appearing after a thunderstorm or during it, is called ball lightning. There is an assumption that Nikola Tesla managed to create ball lightning in his laboratory. He wrote that he had not seen anything like this in nature (it was about fireballs), but he figured out how they form, and even managed to recreate this phenomenon.

Modern scientists have not been able to achieve such results. And some even question the existence of this phenomenon as such.

We have considered only some natural phenomena, examples of which show how amazing and mysterious our world around us is. How much more unknown and interesting we have to learn in the process of development and improvement of science. How many discoveries await us ahead?

Changes are constantly taking place in nature and weather, sometimes it snows, sometimes it rains, sometimes the sun bakes, sometimes clouds appear. All these are called natural phenomena or phenomena of nature. Natural phenomena are changes that occur in nature regardless of the will of man. Many natural phenomena are associated with the change of seasons (seasons), so they are called seasonal. For each season, and we have 4 of them - this is spring, summer, autumn, winter, its natural and weather phenomena are characteristic. Nature is usually divided into living (these are animals and plants) and non-living. Therefore, phenomena are also divided into phenomena of living nature and phenomena of inanimate nature. Of course, these phenomena intersect, but some of them are especially characteristic of a particular season.

In the spring, after a long winter, the sun warms up more and more, ice begins to drift on the river, thawed patches appear on the ground, buds swell, and the first green grass grows. The day is getting longer and the night is getting shorter. It is getting warmer. Migratory birds begin their journey to the regions where they will raise their chicks.

What natural phenomena occur in spring?

Snowmelt. As more heat comes from the Sun, the snow begins to melt. The air around is filled with the murmur of streams, which can provoke the onset of floods - a clear sign of spring.

thawed patches. They appear wherever the snow cover was thinner and where more sun fell on it. It is the appearance of thawed patches that indicates that winter has given up its rights, and spring has begun. The first greenery quickly breaks through the thawed patches; on them you can find the first spring flowers - snowdrops. Snow will lie in crevices and depressions for a long time, but on the hills and in the fields it melts quickly, exposing the land islands to the warm sun.

Frost. It was warm and suddenly it froze - frost appeared on the branches and wires. These are frozen crystals of moisture.

Ice drift. In spring it becomes warmer, the ice crust on rivers and lakes begins to crack, and gradually the ice melts. Moreover, there is more water in the reservoirs, it carries the ice floes downstream - this is an ice drift.

High water. Streams of melted snow flow from everywhere to the rivers, they fill the reservoirs, the water overflows the banks.

Thermal winds. The sun gradually warms the earth, and at night it begins to give off this heat, winds are formed. While they are still weak and unstable, but the warmer it gets around, the more the air masses move. Such winds are called thermal, they are typical for the spring season.

Rain. The first spring rain is cold, but not as cold as snow :)

Storm. At the end of May, the first thunderstorm can thunder. Not as strong yet, but bright. Thunderstorms are discharges of electricity in the atmosphere. Thunderstorms often occur when warm air is displaced and lifted by cold fronts.

Grad. This is a drop from a cloud of ice balls. Hail can be anything from a tiny pea to a hen's egg, and then it can even break through the windshield of a car!

These are all examples of inanimate phenomena.

Flowering is a spring phenomenon of wildlife. The first buds on the trees appear in late April - early May. The grass has already broken through its green stems, and the trees are getting ready to put on green clothes. The leaves will bloom quickly and suddenly, and the first flowers are about to bloom, exposing their centers to awakened insects. Summer will come soon.

In summer, the grass turns green, flowers bloom, leaves turn green on the trees, you can swim in the river. The sun warms well, it can be very hot. Summer is the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Berries and fruits ripen, the harvest ripens.

In summer, there are natural phenomena, such as:

Rain. In the air, water vapor is supercooled, forming clouds consisting of millions of small ice crystals. The low temperature in the air, below zero degrees, leads to the growth of crystals and to the weight of frozen drops, which melt in the lower part of the cloud and fall in the form of raindrops to the surface of the earth. In summer, the rain is usually warm, it helps to water the forests and fields. Thunderstorms often accompany summer rain. If it rains and the sun shines at the same time, they say that it is "Mushroom rain". Such rain happens when the cloud is small and does not cover the sun.

Heat. In summer, the rays of the Sun fall on the Earth more vertically and heat its surface more intensively. And at night, the surface of the earth gives off heat to the atmosphere. Therefore, in summer it is hot during the day and sometimes even at night.

Rainbow. Occurs in an atmosphere with high humidity, often after rain or thunderstorms. A rainbow is an optical phenomenon of nature, for the observer it appears as a multi-colored arc. When the sun's rays are refracted in water droplets, optical distortion occurs, which consists in the deviation of different colors, the white color is divided into a spectrum of colors in the form of a multi-colored rainbow.

Flowering begins in spring and continues all summer.

In autumn, you no longer run outside in a T-shirt and shorts. It gets colder, the leaves turn yellow, fall off, migratory birds fly away, insects disappear from sight.

Autumn is characterized by such natural phenomena:

Leaf fall. As plants and trees go through their year-round cycle, they shed their leaves in the fall, exposing their bark and branches, preparing for hibernation. Why does a tree get rid of leaves? So that the fallen snow does not break the branches. Even before the leaf fall, the leaves of the trees dry, turn yellow or redden and, gradually, the wind throws the leaves to the ground, forming a leaf fall. This is an autumn phenomenon of wildlife.

fogs. The earth and water are still heated during the day, but in the evening it is already getting colder, fog appears. At high humidity, for example, after rain or in a damp, cool season, the cooled air turns into small droplets of water hovering above the ground - this is fog.

Dew. These are droplets of water from the air that have fallen in the morning on the grass and leaves. During the night, the air cools down, the water vapor that is in the air comes into contact with the surface of the earth, grass, tree leaves and settles in the form of water droplets. On cold nights, the dew drops freeze, causing it to turn to frost.

Shower. It's heavy, torrential rain.

Wind. This is the movement of air currents. In autumn and winter the wind is especially cold.

As in spring, there is frost in autumn. This means that there is a slight frost on the street - frost.

Fog, dew, downpour, wind, hoarfrost, frost - autumn phenomena of inanimate nature.

In winter it snows and it gets cold. Rivers and lakes are frozen over. In winter, the longest nights and shortest days, it gets dark early. The sun hardly heats up.

Thus, the phenomena of inanimate nature characteristic of winter are:

Snowfall is the fall of snow.

Blizzard. It's snowfall with wind. Being outdoors in a snowstorm is dangerous, it increases the risk of hypothermia. A strong blizzard can even knock you down.

Freezing is the formation of a crust of ice on the surface of the water. The ice will last all winter until spring, until the snow melts and the spring ice drifts.

Another natural phenomenon - clouds - happens at any time of the year. Clouds are water droplets that have collected in the atmosphere. Water, evaporating on the ground, turns into steam, then, together with warm air currents, rises above the ground. So water is transported over long distances, the water cycle is ensured in nature.

Unusual natural phenomena

There are also very rare, unusual natural phenomena, such as the northern lights, ball lightning, tornadoes and even fish rain. One way or another, such examples of the manifestation of inanimate natural forces cause both surprise and, at times, alarm, because many of them can harm a person.

Now you know a lot about natural phenomena and you can accurately find those characteristic of a particular season :)

The materials have been prepared for a lesson on the subject of the World around us in grade 2, the Perspective and School of Russia (Pleshakov) programs, but will be useful to any primary school teacher, and parents of preschoolers and younger students in home schooling.

Elena Skrebtsova
observation in nature

Observations of inanimate nature

1. Sun watching

Target: clarify children's knowledge about the sun, talk about its significance for life on Earth, form elementary skills related to the implementation observations, develop observation, coherent speech, enrich vocabulary, cultivate interest in the world around

art word:

autumn sun,

get out on the tracks.

autumn sun,

warm our hands.

(G. Lapteva)

Sun-bucket,

Come up quickly

Sanctify, warm

Calves and lambs

More little kids

Sunshine, shine!

Red, shine!

Conversation:

Why is everything on the street so beautiful, sparrows chirping loudly? It's all because sunshine: it lit up everything around, everyone became warm and cheerful. The sky is clear, without clouds. Raise your face to the sun. It caresses the faces of the children with its warmth. And even if you close your eyes, you will still feel the sun on your face. Try it, it's nice!

In autumn, the sun does not warm as much as in summer. There is less heat. That's why people dress warmly. And summer will come, and it will become hot again.

2. Sky watching

Target: to teach children to see the features of the autumn sky (dark, low, clouds cover the sun, expand their understanding of seasonal changes in nature and weather, introduce natural phenomena characteristic of autumn, to teach to see familiar objects in the form of clouds, to develop imagination, cognitive interest, coherent speech

art word:

Foliage covers the whole earth,

Reddish black fields.

And in the gray clouds the day is boring,

And poplars surrendered to the wind ...

(G. Novitskaya)

The eagle flies across the blue sky, spread its wings, covered the sun. (Cloud)

Conversation:

Sky watching(dark, grey, low, observe behind low and fast floating clouds, to fix the concept "cloud" (dark clouds). Discuss with the children what color the sky is, why the sun is not visible, why clouds and clouds float across the sky.

3. Watching the wind

Target: expand children's ideas about the wind, learn to notice the movement of trees during a gust of wind, create a wind, use turntables to determine its direction, learn to identify the presence and most obvious properties of the wind, show the relationship natural phenomena associated with the wind

Equipment: spinner toys, col. paper strips, ribbons

art word:

The wind is blowing, the wind is blowing

The flag develops

Balloons fly to the sky

They want to become clouds.

Oh yes, the wind is a breeze,

Helped the balloons to fly! (G. Lapteva)

Conversation:

Look at the leaves on the trees. What is happening to them? They are moving. This breeze greets them. He strokes them, tickles them. The wind wants to play with them. We do not see the wind, but we can see how it plays with turntables, ribbons. Want to play with the wind? (children are given turntables)

4. Watching the rain

Target: teach children to characterize the weather (cloudy, gray sky, many clouds, develop interest in phenomena nature, pay attention to how it rains ( For example: it drizzles, falls from the clouds down to the ground in large drops, form an idea of ​​​​seasonal phenomena, enrich vocabulary, develop coherent speech

Equipment: watering cans of various shapes and sizes, umbrellas

art word:

Rain, rain, drop

Water saber.

I cut a puddle, I cut a puddle,

Cut, cut, did not cut.

And got tired and stopped. (I. Tokmakova)

Conversation:

The autumn wind drove a cloud of water across the sky. The wind began to dance and jump on a thick cloud. Autumn rain poured out of it. Raindrops fall and merge into puddles. In autumn the rain is cold and the puddles are cold. We went for a walk after the rain. Take a breath. What did you feel? The air is fresh and pleasant. Look at the grass. What can be said about her? What is she? And what is the track? She's wet too. It was raining, scattering its raindrops everywhere. Let's look for him wet footprints: on a bench, on flowers, on a ladder. Everything around was clean and bright. And the grass is wet, and the paths are wet, there are damp benches. The rain washed out trees and roofs. And now everything around is clean and bright.

5. Observation behind the first ice in the puddles

Target: draw the attention of children to the crust of ice that covered the puddles, help identify the properties of ice (thin, transparent, find out why the water in the puddles froze, learn to establish the simplest relationships in nature, lead children to understand the connection natural phenomena - the sun warms during the day, the ice on the puddles melts, at night it will be frosty, and the water will turn into ice again

art word:

In November, in November

In the morning herbs in silver.

Like silver saucers

Puddles sparkle at dawn.

Conversation:

Look at the puddle that you noticed. There is a crust of ice on the puddle. What ice? (transparent, thin). Why did the water freeze? (due to frost). Ice is thin and brittle. If you step on it lightly, the ice will crack.

6. Frost Watch

Target: identify and expand children's ideas about the properties of snow, develop speech, thinking, imagination, cultivate interest in inanimate phenomena nature

art word:

Frost fell on the meadows,

Nibbles goose paws.

Geese, geese! ha-ha-ha!

Wear slippers, take care of your paws. (E. Avdienko)

Hoarfrost lay on the branches of spruce,

The needles turned white overnight. (S. Marshak)

Conversation: The teacher asks the children a riddle. What is this? Frost. The teacher draws the attention of children to a light white coating on the benches, paths, and iron objects. Explains the difference between frost and snow. Lead to the conclusion that frost, like snow and ice, is frozen water. It got colder outside. You need to dress warmly so as not to get sick.

7. Observation behind people in autumn clothes

Target: to introduce children to the features of autumn weather, to form the ability to establish the simplest relationships between changes in autumn weather and people's behavior, clothing choices

art word:

red boots

Annushka on her feet.

Annushka will walk through the puddles,

Yes, wear boots.

Conversation:

Autumn came. Brought cold. All people put on warm clothes and shoes. This is important so you don't get sick. When healthy, you can play outside. We will dress properly and become healthy.

8. Observation following footprints in the sand

Target: identify and expand children's understanding of the properties of water and sand, develop speech, thinking, imagination, cultivate interest in inanimate phenomena nature

art word:

If I stamp my foot

On a wet path

That will remain, friends,

Wet footprint.

Leaving traces is not laziness,

I'll stomp all day. (G. Lapteva)

Conversation:

Autumn weather is cool. It has recently rained, wet the paths, flower beds, sand. Let's let's check: will there be a footprint in the wet sand? (consider footprints left in the sand) Whose footprint is greater? Whose less? And who else left footprints on our site? Let's compare these tracks.

9. Fog watching

Target: to introduce such natural phenomenon, like fog, to remind about the different aggregate states of water, to develop curiosity

art word:

Someone dragged the forest away at night.

He was in the evening, and in the morning he disappeared!

There is not a stump or a bush left,

Only a white circle of emptiness.

(I. Tokmakova)

Conversation:

During fog, objects become difficult to see. What does fog look like? (for steam, smoke, cloud) What is fog? (earth breath). Earth, soil, plants breathe the accumulated heat, and cold air descends to the ground. They mix and get fog - the smallest particles of water. There are very, very many of them, they move quickly, and the air becomes opaque.

Wildlife Observations

1. bird watching

Target: to form in children a general idea of ​​\u200b\u200bbirds, their habits, to introduce certain types of birds (crow, dove, sparrow, to form emotional responsiveness, to instill a desire to take care of birds, to cultivate goodwill, love for nature

art word:

Autumn looked into the garden -

The birds have flown away.

Outside the window rustling in the morning

Yellow blizzards.

Under the feet of the first ice

Crumbles, breaks.

The sparrow in the garden will sigh

And sing - shy. (V. Stepanov)

Conversation:

Look, sparrows flew to our site. How does the sparrow speak? (Pee-wee! Chick-chirp) Sparrow is funny! He's chirping loudly, which means he's talking to us. Sparrow jumps on two legs, fluffs his feathers, twists his head. With the onset of cold weather, it is increasingly difficult for birds to find food for themselves. They fly to a person for help, for a treat. The teacher with the children feeds the birds. Don't forget to feed the birds. Birds we call feathered friends, feathered, because they grow feathers.

2. Observation behind the leaves of trees, leaf fall

Target: to develop the ability to distinguish concepts: "falling leaves", "leaves", "tree", enrich vocabulary, expand ideas about autumn phenomena nature, to form interest in the artistic word

art word:

Empty birdhouse -

The birds flew away, the leaves on the trees

It also doesn't fit.

All day today everyone is flying, flying ...

Apparently, also in Africa

They want to fly. (I. Tokmakova)

Conversation:

Leaves fell from the trees to the ground. This phenomenon is called "falling leaves". The leaves lie like a beautiful carpet. When they are stepped on, the leaves rustle, as if They say: "Autumn". Autumn painted the leaves in different colors? What color are the leaves? From the leaves you can assemble a beautiful bouquet that can be put in a vase, give to your mother, and if you dry them correctly, you can make applications from the herbarium (Children collect leaves)

3. Observation behind the autumn flowers

Target: expand children's ideas about living nature, about flowering plants, to acquaint with the plants of our area that bloom in autumn, to learn to convey the impressions received in speech

Conversation:

On a walk, the teacher leads the children to a flower bed where oaks and marigolds grow.

Marigolds are short and tall, in different golden-orange hues. The flowers are small and large, the leaves are dissected, variegated, with a pungent odor. Grow quickly, bloom until frost. Oaks - plants with small or large flowers of different colors. It blooms for a very long time, until late autumn. Grows well in sunny areas.

5. birch watching

Target: clarify the characteristic features of a tree, fix the names of the parts, learn to compare objects.

art word:

Autumn has come, our garden has turned yellow,

The leaves on the birch burn with gold.

Do not hear the cheerful songs of the nightingale,

Birds flew away to warmer climes.

… Birches with yellow thread

Shine in the azure blue ... (I. Bunin)

Conversation:

How can we recognize a birch among other trees? What color is the birch trunk? (White with black spots.) What parts of birch do you still know? (trunk, branches, root.) What color is the branch? Why a tree root? What color are birch leaves in autumn? (Yellow.) What color were they in summer? (Green.) Look what a beautiful tree! It is tall and slender. It has a thin white trunk, with black stripes. What do you think they are for? (The tree breathes through these strips). Flexible thin branches. The wind loves to fly to the birch and play with its branches. The branches bend to the very ground, and then straighten again.

When a birch leaf falls cleanly, the year will be fruitful.

Sections: Working with preschoolers , Ecology

Nature with its diversity, colorfulness and dynamism attracts children and gives them many joyful experiences. A child's perception of nature is sharper than that of an adult, since he comes into contact with it for the first time. By supporting and developing this interest, we bring up many positive personality traits, such as cheerfulness, a sensitive attitude towards all living things.

Observation is the main means of understanding nature. It provides an opportunity to acquaint children with natural phenomena, the relationship of animate and inanimate nature. It is observation that helps preschoolers to see the changes that occur with plants depending on environmental conditions or those created by man. Observation of distances can be carried out with children, starting from the younger group, since already at this age they learn to establish relationships in nature, notice the dependence of plant growth and development on different conditions. Preschoolers look at the world around them with great interest. The tasks that I have planned include teaching them not only to look, but also to see what changes occur in nature during the year.

As a result of observation, children learn to analyze and compare. Comparison takes place only under the condition that the image reflecting the previous state of the object is distinct enough to be compared with the features of the object that are available at the moment. Considering that the observation process is extended in time (it is possible to observe once a week), the image of the previous object in the child's mind may turn out to be fuzzy, and this will not allow for a proper comparison and identification of the nature of the changes that have occurred. As a result of observations, it is necessary to fix an object of nature (draw or photograph).

In the process of comparing drawings or photographs, children form ideas about the growth and development of plants.

To see the changes that occur with plants, it is necessary to conduct observations regularly. This is one of the conditions for observation. The choice of the object and the content of the observation are also important. I chose vegetable crops as the object for our observation. They grow quickly and gain mass, and these changes are clearly visible to children. The first vegetable to be observed was the onion, which sprouts easily in room conditions.

The purpose of this observation was to show children the effect of light, heat, moisture and nutrients on the growth of vegetables. Observations took place in 4 stages.

• Stage 1. We examined the bulbs with the children. I noticed that the upper part of the bulb is narrow, and the lower part is wide, which is called the bottom, roots grow on it, it should be in the ground. Green feathers grow from the upper part, it should be above the ground. Show the children how to properly plant the bulb in the ground.
• Stage 2. Planting bulbs in the ground. Each child took one bulb and planted it himself in the ground. After that, I showed the children how to water the bulb with water. At the same time, she explained to the children why we watered the plants (moisture is needed for the onion to germinate)
• Stage 3. On the fourth day after planting, small green feathers appeared on the bulbs.
• Stage 4. In the process of further observation, the children noticed that the onion feathers grew up, became longer at this stage, it is necessary to bring the children to the fact that all conditions are necessary for the growth of plants: moisture, light, heat.

In order to reinforce in children the concept that all plants need three conditions for growth: moisture, light and heat, in the summer I observed beets.

The purpose of this experiment is to show the children that the seed is alive, a new plant grows from it. And also to show the influence of conditions (heat, light, moisture, air, nutrients) on the growth and development of plants.

• Stage 1. Considered beet seeds, which were soaked in water for germination. Three days later, they looked with the children to see what happened to the seeds. The children saw small sprouts. They concluded that the seed was alive.
• Stage 2. Sprouted seeds were planted in previously prepared soil. Water well after planting.
• Stage 3. A week later, the children saw that green bores appeared in the ground. Together with the children, we watered them every morning and watched what would happen next.
• Stage 4. Then the observations were carried out once a week, so that changes in growth were better visible. The children noticed that the beet leaves had grown in size. Each time after observing the children, she talked about the fact that vegetables grow so quickly because they are watered, the earth is loosened, it is warm and light outside.
• Stage 5 The final stage of observation. These are comparisons of drawings of plants at different stages. In the process of observation, children not only understand the relationship between plant growth and natural conditions, but also begin to treat plants more carefully.

I want to continue similar work in the future. In senior, preparatory groups, conduct cyclic observations throughout the year. So, for example, to observe the changes that occur with mountain ash at different times of the year (spring, summer, autumn, winter), depending on environmental conditions. In the spring, draw the attention of children to the beauty of rowan inflorescences - a combination of green and white. In summer, watch for the appearance of small green berries. And in the fall, it is necessary to draw the attention of children to the beauty of the autumn mountain ash, to the brightness of its outfit. In winter, pay attention to clusters of bright red berries. In winter, the tree sleeps, the trunk has become darker, because the sap flow has stopped, there are severe frosts outside. You can also conduct a cycle of observations of the coltsfoot during April and May.

Thus, we can say that with proper organization, observation becomes not only a factor of mental education, but also moral: the child develops clear ideas about the patterns in the growth and development of plants, an understanding of the relationship between plant development and environmental factors that ensure its survival. The knowledge gained allows preschoolers to better understand the properties of a living organism, develop the correct attitude towards plants and animals, independently design their behavior in relation to the living.

The grape pickers went early in the morning to their work. By the road they noticed a man in a black wide-brimmed hat. He bent over the ground, looking at something. What was the surprise of the women when, in the evening, returning home, they found this man in the same place, in the same position. Who was this strange man and what did he do all day? It was a remarkable French entomologist Jean Henri Fabre. That day, he observed the habits of a small wasp that had made a hole for itself near the road.

It must be said that Fabre devoted his entire long life (1823-1915) to the study of insects. Sparing no time and effort to observe wasps, bees, butterflies, beetles, he became the world's best expert on insects. Fabre described his discoveries in books that scientists and nature lovers from different countries still admire today.

J. A. Fabre

Observation- this is one of the methods, or ways, of studying nature (from the Greek word "methodos" - a way, a technique).

Without insects it is impossible to imagine our planet

The method of observation is used, of course, not only by researchers of insects and other animals, but also by scientists of various specialties, for example, astronomers. Recently, in July 1994, telescopes around the world were directed towards Jupiter. There was an event that happens once in a thousand years. The fragments of the comet, flying at great speed, collided with Jupiter. Scientists managed to carefully observe this cosmic catastrophe. Explosions from the fall of a comet many times exceeded the power of all atomic weapons accumulated on Earth. Giant whirlwinds with a diameter of up to 5000 km arose above Jupiter, and "wounds" 150-200 km deep remained on the planet itself.

Experiment

But observations in nature are not always enough. In order to better understand many phenomena, researchers are conducting experiments (experiments). The word "experiment" in translation from Latin just means "experience", "test". This is another method of studying nature. When conducting an experiment, a person repeats, reproduces this or that natural phenomenon in the laboratory. At the same time, he closely monitors how it happens. If necessary, the researcher repeats the same experience many times. With the help of experiments, you can, for example, find out what happens to bodies when they are heated and cooled, which bodies are attracted by a magnet and which are not, which substances conduct electric current and which do not. Experiments help to explore not only inanimate bodies, but also plants and animals. It is possible, for example, to establish how various fertilizers affect the growth and development of plants. With the help of experiments, they study the behavior of animals, their language, memory, ingenuity, and the ability to find their way.

It has been found, for example, that migratory birds during their travels are guided by the sun and stars. Very interesting experiments helped to find out. In autumn and spring, the birds were kept in a special cage, from where they could see the sun. The birds turned in the direction they would fly if they were free. When, with the help of mirrors, scientists changed the direction of the sun's rays, as if they moved the sun, the birds turned after it. So it was proved that they are guided by the sun. Similar experiments were carried out at night. As long as the birds could see the night sky, they were heading in the right direction. But now they were placed in a planetarium and began to change the position of the stars in the artificial sky. And the birds, trusting this sky, turned in the wrong direction at all. This meant that they really navigated by the stars.

Measurement

Very often, in the study of nature, another method is used - measurement. Measure, for example, the size and mass of bodies, their temperature, speed of movement, the duration of certain phenomena. To do this, they use measuring instruments: a ruler, scales, a thermometer, a stopwatch or a watch, etc. Biologists often need to know the number of animals of one species or another in some territory. To determine this, they count how many times the animals met, their tracks, burrows or nests in a certain area. The number of birds is determined in the spring by their voices.

Scientific Research Equipment

magnifying devices

Measuring instruments

Laboratory equipment

Test your knowledge

1. What are the main methods of studying nature?
2. What can be learned from observations?
3. What is an experiment?
4. What measurements are taken in the study of nature?
5. What can be measured with a stopwatch? What about with weights?

Think!

1. Give examples of observations you made while studying nature in elementary school.
2. What experiments did you conduct in elementary school in the lessons of the "World Around"?
3. What magnifying devices do you know?
4. What scientists use a telescope for their observations? And who uses a magnifying glass?
5. Which units in the right column correspond to the values ​​in the left column?

Nature is studied in various ways. The main ones are observation, experiment (experiment), measurement.